PSP Events proudly presents THE event of the year, the 2009 World Cup. The largest professional paintball tournament on the planet will debut at a new location this year, Fantasy of Flight, October 7th – 11th.

Home to over 40 rare and vintage aircraft, Fantasy of Flight is the world’s greatest aviation attraction. The facility offers a variety of guided tours including visits to their working restoration and maintenance areas. You can climb inside the cockpit of a Corsair fighter for a battle over the Pacific and then take a spin on their state-of-the-art hang glide simulator in the Fun with Flight area.

Located in Polk City, FL, Fantasy of Flight is conveniently located between the Orlando International Airport and the Tampa International Airport. Servicing over 52 million passengers a year with over 1,000 arrivals and departures daily, the two airports offer a multitude of flight options for everyone traveling to the event.

The World Cup is the crown jewel of tournament paintball; more players, more spectators, more vendors, more buzz, more significance than any other event in the industry. The event also hosts the year’s largest tradeshow where everyone that’s anyone comes to debut their latest and greatest gear for the upcoming season. It is the must attend event of the year for teams and paintball enthusiasts around the globe.

Visit www.pspevents.com for more information about the event including host hotels. Stay tuned as we add additional properties, rental homes, and tons more details for the event.

This morning we learned that KEE Action Sports Group has purchased Canadian paintball manufacture and product distributor XO Industries. XO has a large foothold in the Canadian market place and has been steadily gaining ground in the United States marketplace by selling quality paintballs at low prices. XO currently manufactures a large line of paintball products including but not limited to several different grades of paintballs, both on and off the field gear and markets to the scenario players under the brand Gen-X-Global. KEE Action Sports has several high profile and extremely successful brands such as BT for the scenario players, a full line RPS Paintballs under the brands EVIL and RPS, and EMPIRE branded playing gear. The two companies will be working to consolidate their brands under one name and distribution network and we can only speculate as to which one is going to win out. However, the real shake up will take place at the end of the season when teams contracts are renegotiated and KEE/XO determine which teams to keep in their Pro stable. KEE currently sponsors the Russian Legion, San Diego Dynasty, Infamous, San Antonio X-Factor and Tampa Bay Damage. XO currently sponsors Edmonton Impact, New England Hurricanes, Orange County Bushwackers and Portland Naughty Dogs. From what we understand, XO Industries has reassured the sponsored teams that their contracts and agreements will be honored. With budgets tightening and the natural focus of acquisition teams being to cut costs and cut out the overlap between the two companies, one can only speculate that they will refocus their sponsorship on an elite group. The deal between KEE and XO is a major move that further consolidates the paint manufacturing industry; on one side we have Procaps/DXS who recently merged with Archon/ZAP, and on the other, KEE merging with PMI and XO. Paintball is going to get interesting!

Paintball Sports Trade Association to Host Free Tournament at Chicago Open, the Paintball Sports Trade Association (PSTA) continues on its mission to help “increase awareness, acceptance, and participation” at the PSP Chicago Open. The PSTA plans to host a Young Guns Tournament with free entry and a Target Range during the Chicago Open event in June. At the beginning of this year, the PSTA showed its full support of the 5th Annual Paintball Extravaganza held this past February. Thanks to the PSTA and its board members comprised of industry veterans like DYE Precision’s Dave DeHaan (Chairman); Rick Chard, President of Paintball Events Unlimited LLC; Craig Miller; and PBNation’s President, Ed Rieker, just to name a few, this past February’s Paintball Extravaganza was a complete success. In fact, it was such a huge success that there will be another trade show specific to paintball business owners in September of this year (details of this next tradeshow to come soon).

Free Entry Young Guns Tournament

Newly appointed PSTA Director, Russell Maynard, said, “We want to do something different that’s never been done before by hosting a free tournament for players 12-18 years old who have never played a PSP event.” This PSP 5-man format, double-elimination format will take place on June 28th only and will be on a PSP field officiated by PSP referees. There will be only one division with a maximum of 24 teams. Young Gun aged participants will be supplied with DYE and Smart Parts paintball markers, hoppers, and air systems free of charge; even the air fills and their paint will be supplied at no cost to them! Players only need to bring their goggle systems and appropriate attire to play in the tournament.

“Young Gun aged participants will be supplied with DYE and Smart Parts paintball markers, hoppers, and air systems free of charge; even the air fills and their paint will be supplied at no cost to them!”

Both Paintball Sports Promotions and the PSTA are joining forces to sponsor these young players to give them a chance to experience what it’s like to play at a PSP event. There are special limitations as the rate of fire is restricted to semi-only and only 150 rounds per player for each game is allowed. Players will have to chrono at 270 fps, as well.

Target Range

There will also be a target range where PSTA Manufacturers’ paintball markers will be available to shoot for free. Representatives of each manufacturer will be there to explain the marker’s features. The Target Range will be open from 10AM until 4PM on June 27thand 28th during the PSP Chicago Open. This target range will be equipped with real life targets for players to shoot at! “PSP Pro tournament players from PSTA member sponsored teams will be on the range for kids to shoot at,” said Maynard. He continued, “What the PSP and the PSTA are attempting to do is create a better interaction between the consumer and the industry.” Since there will be no charge for air and marker usage at the Target Range, a small fee of only $3.00 for 100 rounds of sponsored paintballs. The reason for the cost is to help offset the cost of paint given to the Young Guns teams.

“PSP Pro tournament players from PSTA member sponsored teams will be on the range for kids to shoot at,” said Maynard.

It is the PSTA’s hope to bring the Target Range to places like traveling car shows where people will have a chance to get a feel for the markers, comparison shop, and get a hands-on look at the latest marker technology. To see a list of the PSTA Manufacturers that will feature their guns at the PSP Chicago Open, visit their website at www.Paintball.org.

Maynard said, “If the Young Guns Tournament and Target Range are as successful as we anticipate, we will be offering this again at all the remaining PSP events this year.” As the PSTA adds more events to their schedule, it is their hope to have local field/store volunteers to help run the Target Range. For more information about the free Young Guns Tournament, the Target Range, and the PSTA, please contact the PSTA Director, Russell Maynard, via their website atwww.Paintball.org.